Method of marking textile articles

ABSTRACT

A DRY TRANSFER IS APPLIED TO THE TEXTILE ARTICLE BY A HEATING IRON AND SIMULTANEOUSLY, ADDITIONAL INDICIA IS PRINTED ON THE ARTICLE BY SELECTED TYPE FIXEDLY LOCATED RELATIVE TO THE IRON. THE TRANSFERS ARE PROVIDED AT AREAS SPACED ALONG A CARRIER STRIP AND PRINT INK IS PROVIDED ON THE SAME STRIP, OR ON ANOTHER STRIP. BY USING INTERCHANGEABLE TYPE, ANY FORM OF ADDITIONAL INDICIA MAY BE PRINTED ON THE ARTICLE SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE APPLICATION OF THE TRANSFER THERETO.

May 11, "197-1 MU v 3,578,525

METHOD OF MARKING TEXTILE ARTICLES Filed June 5. 1968 JATICIZOH YMUH R RR EFSIQSiQ IIISiIiIWIY/QIME H 33 INVENTOR. EIMQ EMEHUFZAE 40 ROGERMUELLER.

BY 44 H63 069M W.

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,578,525 METHOD OF MARKING TEXTILE ARTICLES RogerMueller, Syracuse, N.Y., assignor to Textile Marking Machine Co., Inc.,Syracuse, N.Y. Filed June 5, 1968, Ser. No. 742,112 Int. Cl. B41m 3/00US. Cl. 156-238 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A dry transfer isapplied to the textile article by a heating iron and simultaneously,additional indicia is printed on the article by selected type fixedlylocated relative to the iron. The transfers are provided at areas spacedalong a carrier strip and print ink is provided on the same strip, or onanother strip. By using interchangeable type, any form of additionalindicia may be printed on the article simultaneously with theapplication of the transfer thereto.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Articles of textile material such, forexample, as bed linen used in establishments as hospitals, hotels andthe like, are marked to indicate the name and location of theestablishment and it is desirable to include in the marking additionalindicia, such as the date the article was put into use and the section,or department, of the establishment to which the particular article hasbeen assigned. The many advantages of marking such articles, by the useof transfers, have been recognized for years. In addition to the words,the transfer can include various designs. Also, the transfers can be hadin any color, or a transfer may include a plurality of different colors.These ad vantages have been enhanced with the development of so-calleddry transfers, which are applied only by heat and pressure, notrequiring any activating solutions.

Transfers, however, are relatively expensive, and the only markingobtained is that which is incorporated in the transfer. As stated above,it is not only important, but necessary, to include in the markingindicia further information pertaining to a specific article, such asthe date the article was acquired and the department in which it hasbeen assigned for use. For example the transfer would include the nameand location of a hospital. The additional indicia would indicate thatthe article was for use in surgery, or in Ward B, etc.

In order to provide the additional indicia in marking the articles onlyby use of transfers, it is necessary for the establishment to acquire avery large inventory of transfer rolls, and the operator would have tocontinuously change the transfer rolls in order to apply the additionalindicia to different articles.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the practise of my invention, an areaof a carrier strip, having transfer material applied thereto, is placedin overlying relation to a heating iron. A carrier strip provided withprint ink is positioned in overlying registration with print type. Thetextile article is pressed against the transfer material and the printink. Preferably, a single carrier strip is used which is provided withthe transfers and print ink, although it will be apparent from thedetailed description of the invention that the transfers may be carriedon one roll of the strip, or tape, and the print ink carried on aseparate strip, or tape, either at spaced areas, or continuous.

In the preferred form, I provide the carrier, or backing strip, atintervals spaced therealong with transfer material in the form of adesign and/ or words constituting what might be termed a house mark, toindicate the ownership of the article.

'ice

This carrier strip is also coated in areas complemental to, orpre-oriented with, the areas containing the transfers, with printing inkwhich preferably is of the same material as that in the transfer. Thecarrier strip is advanced from a supply roll to position'a transfer areain overlying relation to the heating iron. The complemental area coatedwith the printing ink is positioned in front of the print type, which isin fixed relationship to the heating iron. The textile article ispressed against the face side of the carrier strip by a platen, wherebythe transfer and printing is eifected simultaneously. Upon eachoperation of the platen, the carrier strip is advanced automatically toposition the next transfer and ink print area in registration with theheating iron and the type.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a machinesuitable for the practise of my invention.

FIG. 2 is a face view of the carrier strip illustrating the arrangementof the transfer and the print ink areas.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged face view of the transfer applying iron and printtype.

FIG. 4 is a view taken on line 4-4, FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to FIG. 2, 10 designates a single carrierstrip to which transfers, indicated generally at 11, are applied atspaced intervals along the strip. In the drawings, the transfer consistsof a rectangular outline design 12 within which are letters indicatingthe name of a hospital. The strip 10 also has print ink, indicated at13, applied to an area complemental to, or pre-oriented in relation to,transfer 11.

As in conventional practise, the strip 11 is of considerable yardage inlength, containing a great number of transfers and print ink areas. Thestrip is sold in roll form.

Referring to FIG. 1, a roll 15 of the transfer strip is positioned on asupport carried by the frame of, the applying and printing machine. Thestrip 10 is fed transversely from roll 15 across the flat surface 17 ofa heating iron 18 fixed in the machine. The strip 10 is wound up on aspool 20. The textile article is positioned on a platen 23 which ismounted on the free end of an arm 25 pivotally mounted in the machineframe. The arm 25 is provided with handles 27, by means of which theoperator can conveniently swing the platen 23, with the articlepositioned thereon, upwardly toward the heating iron 17. The face sideof the carrier strip 10, having the transfer and print ink appliedthereto, is faced outwardly for contact by the article.

When the platen 23 has been moved upwardly to position the article inproximity to the strip 10, power is applied to the arm 25 to move thearticle against the carrier strip, and move the rear surface thereofagainst the surface 17 of the heater iron under pressure. The pressureis maintained for a selected period of time by adjustment of a timer.Upon return movement of the arm 25, the roll 20 is automatically rotatedto advance the next transfer in overlying registration with the heatingiron for application of the transfer to the next article.

The machine referred to is satisfactory for use in cat'rying out mymethod of marking. However, it will be apparent that machines embodyinga different specific arrangement could be used. The basic philosophy inthe machine, as above described, is conventional in machines for theapplication of transfers. This machine departs from the conventional inthat the heating iron 18 is, in addition to the fiat surface 17,provided with means by which print type can be interchangeably attachedto the heating iron. The iron is formed with a surface 30 locatedinwardly of the surface 17 The surface 30 is formed with transverselyextending dove-tailed slots 31 to receive print Patented May 11, 1971type 33, spacer slugs 35, and retaining slugs 37. The print type andslugs are ton-med at their base, or inner ends, with a dove-tailedconfiguration complemental to the slots 31, whereby the print type andslugs are freely slidable in the slots. When a row of type is set, aretaining slug 37 is positioned at each end of the row. The retainingslugs are provided with set screws 40 which, when tightened, lock theretaining slugs in the slots 31 to maintain the type in the set row inproper location.

The transfers 11 and the print areas 13 are so dimensioned and arrangedthat upon each advancement of the strip 10, a transfer is positioned inoverlying registration with the surface 17 of the heater iron, and aprint ink area 13 is positioned in registration with the print type 33.It will be apparent that the print ink, in conjunction with the type 33,imprints indicia on the textile article simultaneously with theapplication of the transfer thereto.

As previously stated, the print ink 13 may be applied continuously onthe strip 10, or on a separate strip indicated by the dotted line 45,FIG. 2, in which event the strip and the print ink strip can be advancedsimultaneously by the roll 20.

What I claim is:

1. The method of marking articles consisting in positioning an area of acarrier strip bearing transfer material in overlying registration with aheating iron, positioning a print ink carrier in overlying registrationwith print type, and pressing the textile article against said transfermaterial and print ink simultaneously.

2. A method of marking textile articles consisting in providing acarrier strip with transfer material at areas spaced along said strip onthe face side thereof, applying printing ink to the face side of saidstrip in areas associated with said transfer material areas andpre-oriented in respect thereto, moving said strip to position atransfer area in overlying registration with a heating iron arranged toengage the rear side of said strip, and an associated ink print area inregistration with print type, positioning 'a textile article inoverlying relation to the face side of said strip and compressing saidstrip between said textile article and said iron and print type.

3. The method of marking textile articles consisting in providing afirst carrier strip with transfer material at areas spaced along saidstrip on the face side thereof, applying print ink to the face side of asecond strip, moving said first strip to position a transfer areathereof in overlying registration with a heating iron arranged to engagethe rear side of said strip, positioning said second carrier strip inoverlying relation to print type, positioning a textile article inoverlying relation to the face sides of said strips and compressing saidstrips between said article and said iron and print type.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,516,487 7/1950 Schlicksupp156238 2,764,934 10/1956 Kaplan 156385X 3,128,219 4/1964 Ounmings156-238X LELAND A. SEBASTIAN, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

